Keizersgracht, Amsterdam

Keizersgracht was named in honor of Maximilian I, the Hold Roman Emperor from 1493 until 1519, who ruled over what was to become The Netherlands for some years. The canal's name literally translates as "Emperor's Canal." Kiezersgracht is also the widest of the major canals that form the city's inner canal ring and hosts some famous monuments, including the Homomonument, a monument to all the gay victims of oppression throughout the world. Another notable sight on this canal is the Huis met de Hoofden, the House with the Heads, a 17th-century canal house with distinctive stonework.